


Praying like a fool just shot the gun

by TeaJay



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 10:37:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2064888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaJay/pseuds/TeaJay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a mission goes south Nick has to face that his feelings for Phil might go deeper than friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Praying like a fool just shot the gun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hoosierbitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoosierbitch/gifts).



> I hope this fits the Fury and Coulson backstory and mission!fic aspects of your prompt. The title is from Feel Again by One Republic.

Blurred figures and black dots danced in front of his eye as he tried to get it to refocus on the scene around him. It took him a minute to realize that the reason his people seemed tower oddly over him was because he was on the ground and that the ringing in his ears was caused by the explosion. He had been propped up a tumbled wall supporting him.  
It had all happened so quickly. One minute his team had been investigating a presumed abandoned laboratory the next it was going to pieces around them. And wasn't he going to give Intelligence hell for that. He'd been concerned with the lack of surveillance done but had been told that they were just salvaging evidence and doing reconnaissance. They were supposed to see if they could find out what AIM had been doing here-still they should have been prepared for nasty left over booby traps; how had they got caught out like this?   
He started to rise but a sharp pain lanced through his shoulder as he tried to do so and he fell back against the wall. Phil's face came into focus ah leaned over him dusty and scratched, eyes wide with concern, but otherwise unharmed to Nick's relief.   
"Report agent," he said in what he suspected was an overly loud voice.   
Phil frowned and then made their short hand sign for "can't hear?" Nick nodded but immediately regretted it as his head started throbbing and spinning so he settled for speaking. "Ears are ringing. Report."  
"Three injured. No enemies visible but our equipment is down."   
"Who else is injured?"   
"Jasper broke his leg and May's arm was cut. The others have some abrasions and bruises. You injured your shoulder and probably have a concussion."   
He didn't like the gnawing in the pit of his stomach that told him they weren't alone and any minute whoever had made that bomb might come over the rise and start shooting at them while they were sitting ducks with only collapsed walls for protection. May came over with a med kit the injury to her arm already neatly bound up. He looked to Phil.  
"Secure a perimeter if you can then see if you can get any of our equipment back up."   
Phil nodded grimly shifting from concerned friend to resolute soldier back straight, shoulders squared as he marched off to put Nick's orders in effect. Following Nick’s orders was something he did more and more often now and it something inside him clench at the thought of Phil marching away on his word and not coming back.  
He forced himself to look away from Phil’s retreating form and at his shoulder before Melinda could cover it. There was nothing embedded in it as he'd feared but it was at an odd angle and as she cut away his uniform May revealed that his skin was already turning reddish purple around the site.  
“It looks like you dislocated it I'm going to splint it and hope that you don't damage it any worse by moving it around. And whatever you do don't try to hold a gun with it. Either shoot left or not at all." He gritted his teeth as she efficiently immobilized his arm and then put it in a sling. She helped him to his feet as Phil returned.  
“Hand, Morse, and Patel are standing watch Sitwell is working on the comms but he thinks the bomb might also have included some kind of EMP.”  
“Let Jasper try for another hour and then we’ll try to make it to the emergency extraction point. I don’t want some AIM goons bearing down on us without any warning.” If there were AIM agents or other enemies of SHIELD out there they would be better off making a stand in the damaged laboratory which at least offered some cover rather than in the woods where they wouldn’t be able to see anyone coming but they had limited supplies and no way of contacting their base for extraction unless they got the comms back up so they couldn’t stay long.  
“Sir!” Morse was striding towards them. “I don’t think that was a regular bomb. I found some of the material they were working on in this lab and it looks like it was a volatile chemical mixture they were weaponizing. It was rigged into the doorway but they have a whole lot more stored inside along with research notes and other experimental substances.”  
“Is the mixture itself dangerous? Could it be toxic as well explosive?” Nick asked.  
“No but it has a very short period of efficacy.”  
“But this building was supposed to be abandoned for years,” Phil said.  
“Would it have lasted that long?” May asked.  
“No. Weeks at the most but I don’t know why they would have put it here-”  
“Unless they knew we were coming,” Nick finished grimly. They all looked to the wooded ridge looming in the distance.   
“Jasper having any luck with the radios?”   
“I’ll go look into it.”   
“Morse go see what you can find on these chemicals and any other research they may have been doing here.”  
“Got it.” Bobbi and May hurried off in separate directions leaving Phil and him alone for the moment.   
“You think somebody told AIM we were going to be here,” Phil was facing away from him scanning the land in front of them gun held ready.   
“I think it’s a lot of trouble to go through for an abandoned facility.”  
“Maybe they just wanted to get rid of us. A lot of people do.”  
“A feeling I understand a little too well when I’ve just been stuck in a car with Victoria and Jasper for four hours. But they rigged the inner doors to the lab. I think they were more concerned about what we might find inside than killing us.”  
“Why worry about blowing us up when they can just let us starve out here? Or pick us off one by one as we try to make a break for it?”  
“Hello, Agent Hand.” Victoria gave Phil a sour look.   
“Nick we can’t stay here. Patel and I both saw movement on the ridge. Mira swears they were in those ridiculous AIM beekeeper suits and I don’t want to be here when they come down.”   
Nick felt the weight of their gazes as they turned to him waiting for a decision. If they made a break for it there was over a mile of forest between them and their vehicles and then 10 more miles to their extraction point. If they made it to the SUVs they’d be able to radio in and both he and Melinda were good enough evasive drivers to get them out of there. However, Jasper would be slowed down by his broken leg and he would admit if only to himself that his shoulder would hinder him considerably in a fight. If Jasper could get the comms back up before it was dark they could call in back up and a chopper without engaging but if not they would be sitting ducks.   
“Sitwell, any luck with the comms.” Jasper pulled a face from where he was sitting propped against a rock his leg stretched out in front of him.   
“No sir. Even if I could get them back on they’ve probably jammed the signal.”  
“It’s what I would do,” Nick agreed.  
“I know you’re worried about me keeping up sir, but I think I can manage.” Jasper set his jaw in determination and Nick knew he’d try his best but that may not be enough his leg collapsed.   
“Hand go get Morse, May, and Patel. Make sure Agent Morse brings anything she found with her.”  
“Coulson, do you think you could support Agent Sitwell?”  
“Yes sir.” Nick recognized the resolve on his face as well having seen it far too often. He would get Jasper out of there or die trying. It was going to have to be Nick’s job to ensure that didn’t happen.   
Hand returned with Patel, Morse, and May, Bobbi with one of the large packs slung over her shoulders.  
“I found evidence of weapons building and sir- they were SHIELD weapons. I found plans from our R&D department among their lab notes as well as decommissioned SHIELD weapons. Someone’s leaking them our tech.” So someone had set them up. He raged inwardly at the thought of one of their own sending them out here to die, putting their own weapons in the hands of their enemies. If he made it out of here was going to make sure they ended up in the bottom of a dark cell for the rest of their lives. Outwardly he remained as calm as possible   
“Do you think that’s why the intelligence was so shoddy?” Patel asked.  
“Probably. Someone in there fed us false information.”Nick sighed. “We’re going to make a break for the cars at dusk. It will be light enough that we should be able to see them if they make a move into the clearing but dark enough that we can lose them in the trees. Hand, May I want you to cover Sitwell and Coulson. Morse I want you to stay with me and if it comes down to it get that evidence out of here. Patel I want you at our backs with your rifle.” He glanced at the sky. “I’d say we have another hour if our friends up there don’t get tired of waiting for us.”  
“We should probably make for the trees to the left and then skirt up behind the ridge. I don’t like the idea of letting them have the high ground,” Victoria offered.  
Nick agreed and they quickly hashed out a plan that would probably blown to pieces the minute they came out from behind the shelter of the collapsed laboratory but hopefully would prevent them from suffering the same fate.  
The next hour stretched out in silence as the sun slowly sunk in the sky. Everyone was on edge and he knew they were all wracking their minds for which of the agents they knew had sold them out. Phil’s expression was particularly forbidding his lips pressed together in a tight line his normally kind face dangerous; Nick did not envy the traitors if Phil found them first. Mira checked the hill every ten minutes or so with her long range rifle’s sight reporting on the enemies’ movements. She counted about approximately 15 agents but couldn’t be more certain because of their shifting movements and identical suits.  
Finally, the woods were casting long shadows on the ground and Nick signaled that it was time to go. They’d spent the last hour hidden by the fallen walls in the hope that the enemy wouldn’t spot them readying to move or get bored and decide to take potshots at them. Phil arranged his gun in his right hand, Nick helped Sitwell up to hook his arm over Phil’s shoulder, and Phil put his arm around his waist supporting him. They looked like some kind of sick three legged race but it seemed a steady enough arrangement. They took up the positions Nick had assigned them earlier, and circled the inner edge of the compound getting as close to the edge as they could before staring their rush to the trees.  
They’d not even made it 50 feet when the shouting and gunfire started from above. Nick fired back his shoulder burning as he ran, behind him May, Hand, and Patel opened fire as well. Their aim were hindered by the low light but so was AIM’s and they had made it halfway to the trees before he heard someone cry out.   
“Go go keep going, it was just my vest!” Victoria called out from behind them. He continued to fire at the top of the ridge as they pounded on finally hitting the shelter of the trees. They continued on for several minutes until the firing became distant and irregular before regrouping May checking Victoria’s vest as she tried to wave her off.  
“It’ll just bruise Melinda. You can tend to me later,” she said that last part with a bit of a leer and Nick turned away confident in her welfare if she was flirting. Other than Victoria everyone had made it through unscathed but Jasper was sweaty and pale and he was concerned with how far he would make it going uphill. However, he nodded resolutely with the rest of them when Nick asked if they were ready to move out. They trekked quickly towards the site where they’d left the cars every sound in the brush bringing their guns up and making their hearts jump. By the time they reached the top of the ridge Jasper was flagging, Phil was struggling a little under his weight, and Nick’s own arm felt like it was on fire. He wished the quick healing the infinity serum granted him worked a little more quickly. Or at least did something about the pain. It was almost full dark before they came close to the cars and that’s when they saw a glimpse of yellow among the distant tree trunks.   
“Get down!”   
They all dropped immediately as AIM opened fire Bobbi lying close to him, Phil shielding Jasper, May and Victoria pulling their weapons, and Mira already getting her rifle in place to return fire. It had to be tricky to aim in the dark but she got in at least one hit if the choked off scream in the distance was anything to go by. If they were going to move they were going to have to go now.   
“Get to the cars! Morse and Patel with me. May and Hand, go with Coulson and Sitwell to the other vehicle. Now!”  
They scrambled for the SUVs as shots rang out again. They all returned fire not making any effort to hit their targets just prevent them from shooting at them. He started up his car while Coulson and Hand were still helping Sitwell into the other vehicle. He wanted to wait for them, to stay and cover their retreat, but their first priority had to be getting the intel that there was a leak in SHIELD back to base. He peeled out bouncing onto the dirt road and swerving too far left as he steered single handedly. Patel fired a shot out of the back window before pulling all the way back in.  
“They were aiming for the tires but I got him. I think Hand and Coulson should be able to hold the rest of them off while May gets the car started.”  
They careened down the road for several miles until they hit the main road. If there was anyone following them they would have better luck blending in with the rest of the traffic rather than charging through them. Bobbi got the radio working once they got out of range of the jammer and called in their position to their base camp. She was about to mention that they had been sold out when he stopped her.   
“We don’t know who might be listening; we have no idea how deep this goes. This is Director’s ears only at this point.” Agent Blake on the other end of the line was one of the last people he’d peg as part of an AIM plot but he wasn’t taking any chances especially considering that the line might not be secure.   
They made it to base with no further signs of AIM but worryingly without any sight of the rest of his team either. He’d expected them to follow no less than a minute or two behind and he felt his stomach tighten at the thought that they could be dead or captured. He’d made the right call to get the evidence out of there but that didn’t mean he had to like the consequences. He’s asked for these people on his team, he’d recruited Phil, and goddamn if he wasn’t going to hold himself responsible for them.   
Agent Blake greeted them as they entered the abandoned office building they’d set up as their base camp and safe house.   
“Sir, we just got a radio in from Agent May she and the rest of the team took a less orthodox route to get to the highway but they are on their way here.”  
Nick felt the ache inside him ease. His people were alright. He took less orthodox to mean ‘Melinda drove cross country and didn’t stop to check for no trespassing signs and now angry farmers are going to be calling me’.   
“I need to speak to the Director immediately Agent Blake.”  
“But sir it’s 2 am there!”  
“It’s an emergency. I need a secure line and private office.”  
Blake made an unimpressed face but scurried off to equip an empty office with their encrypted phone line. He left the office two hours later his shoulder and head aching after being quizzed by Peggy for every detail and forced to speculate on the loyalty of his colleagues. He understood the necessity of it the claims were serious and she had to be absolutely certain of everything he said but he just wanted to see Phil and his team with his own eyes to assure himself of their safety and then sleep for twelve hours.  
And suddenly Phil was there in front of him alive and safe and the wave of relief was so vast it was almost overwhelming. He wasn’t sure who moved first but the next moment they were kissing feverishly all the desperation and intensity of the last few hours poured into it. Phil smelled like a fight, like sweat, dust, blood, and metal and he pulled him closer with his good arm seeking the reassurance that Phil had won this battle that having him pressed close gave him.  
“Agent Fury!” They jumped apart at Hand’s voice from around the corner.  
“I’ll just go then,” Phil awkwardly backed away and hurried off leaving Nick feeling suddenly very cold and empty. He took a deep breath. They didn’t talk about this thing they did the kissing and sometimes more, the way they reassured each other they were still alive with clutching hands and hot mouths after a near miss. If they didn’t talk about it they didn’t have to think about it and if they didn’t think about it they didn’t have to face that it wasn’t exactly normal friend behavior and if they didn’t face it they didn’t have to stop.  
“Fury!” He wasn’t even fooling himself with that line of thought but there wasn’t time to examine it now he needed to see what had to be done to clean up this clusterfuck of an operation and root out who might have been responsible for it.

The clean up ended up taking several days and while in the end it was not Nick who did the actual searching for the moles he and Morse spent hours going over the site and the evidence she had collected to make sure nothing that could point to a possible leak was overlooked. Finally it was over and they were transported back to a US base and given hotel rooms and leave for the weekend. The hotel money didn’t stretch to separate rooms so he and Phil were paired off as usual. Phil was abnormally silent as they took a cab to the room, checked in, and did their cursory safety search of the room. Nick supposed after the week they’d had he had the right to be too tired to want to talk. He turned on the tv while Phil showered but didn’t pay much attention to it. He’d turned it on to check the headlines to reassure himself that SHIELD had managed to keep this under wraps and had captured all of the AIM agents in the region and he wasn’t going to see “Casualties in Europe as botched US Intelligence Agency operation goes wrong”. They were reporting on the safety of cell phones so he figured they were probably in the clear for now so he tuned it out. He took his turn in the shower letting the hot water beat down on his sore muscles for several minutes before even beginning to wash. He’d have preferred a long hot bath but a soaking tub wasn’t the kind of luxury a SHIELD expense hotel was going to provide and he wasn’t sure his 6’ 2” frame would even fit in the tiny shower/bath combo if he attempted it. His shoulder still ached but was almost fully healed; the infinity serum had done that much for him.   
Phil was still up and sitting on the edge of the bed when Nick came out of the bathroom in search of his pajamas.   
“You’re still awake? You were so quiet earlier I thought you must have been exhausted from everything.”  
Phil didn’t quite meet his eye as he picked at the edge of the bedspread before finally answering.  
“No. I mean I am tired but that wasn’t why,” he looked up at him, face set. “Nick I can’t stop thinking about the other night and why we keep doing this-”  
“It’s just adrenaline Cheese-”  
“It’s not for me,” Phil spat the words out as if otherwise they might dry up and stick in his throat, “And I can’t keep pretending it is. Because if it all it was was relief and adrenaline and the battle rush then I wouldn’t want to kiss you right now. Maybe once it was just post operation giddiness maybe it still is for you but it’s not for me.”  
Phil didn’t want to stop. He didn’t want to face that this was something they would never do with anyone else so they   
“It’s not for me either.”   
Phil blinked at him for a moment his train of conversation derailed.  
“The first time it was just battle fever, impulse, whatever, but it was one I’d had before and I’ve had since. It is relief-reassurance-I need to know that you’re alive and still here after a battle. But it’s not the only time I’ve wanted to kiss you.”  
“Oh,” Phil rubbed the back of his neck, “I was kind of expecting a ‘You’re my best friend but I don’t feel that way about you’ speech. I’m actually not sure where to go with this now.”  
“Well you did just say you wanted to kiss me you could start there?”  
Phil’s lips quirked up and he rose from the bed to walk to Nick. As he crowded in closer Nick’s heart raced as he was reminded that he was still only wearing a towel.  
“I could.” Desire still warred with uncertainty as he closed in so Nick leaned down and met him halfway. Their kisses before had been frantic and messy an overflow of emotions and passion without much direction. This time though it was slower and more sensual, they had time and they were going to make the most of it. Phil’s lips parted easily under his the kiss deepening as he explored his mouth becoming hot and wet but still unhurried. Phil rose up on his toes looping his arms around Nick’ neck and he tugged Phil closer in response wrapping his arm around him feeling the soft cotton of his t-shirt against his bare skin, and wishing that his shoulder was good enough that he could hold him properly. The change in position aligned their hips and Nick moaned into the kiss as their erections brushed, the fabric of the towel providing delicious friction. Phil’s hands skimmed down his bare back, calloused fingers sending sparks down his spine before coming to rest on his hips. He broke the kiss pulling away to rest his forehead against Phil’s for a moment as they caught their breath.  
Phil tipped his head up again brushing kisses along Nick’s jaw before moving down his neck to press kisses to his collarbone. His eyes flicked up as he moved further down and Nick swallowed hard at the mix of lust and adoration in them.  
“Jesus!” While he’d been distracted Phil had reached his chest and his wet mouth had closed around his nipple and sent a line of heat straight to his groin. Phil drew back eyebrows drawing together in concern.  
“Was that a good or-?”  
“Yes it was good, Cheese.” Phil surged back up to kiss him and their hips jerked together as their cocks aligned again and Phil slipped his thigh between his nearly freeing his towel. They ground together their kiss turning into heavy breathing into nothing more than heavy breathing into each other’s mouths until the fabric separating them became unbearable. -  
“I think we better move this to the bed.”  
“Good idea, yeah,” Phil agreed nearly as breathless as he was.  
Phil tugged him forwards until they reached the bed before laying back on it. Nick just looked at him for a long moment chest still rising and falling quickly, hair mussed, eyes wide and darkened with want, his erection tenting his pants. Phil bit his lip and squirmed a little uncomfortably under Nick’s gaze as if Nick might decide that he didn’t really want Phil after all. Nick ranged over him kissing him before murmuring, “I’m not going to change my mind.”  
Phil huffed a little indignantly against his neck.  
“I know that.” He relaxed a little though and tugged on Nick’s towel. Nick shifted so it fell away, but then winced; mostly healed was not the same as all the way healed.  
Phil picked up on it immediately and pushed gently on his good shoulder.  
“Roll over, let me.”  
It took a minute of awkward rearranging but soon Nick was on his back Phil straddling his thighs. Phil took a minute to study him as well eyes traveling up and down his body appreciatively before curling his fingers around his cock and stroking him with such a look of intensity on his face that Nick had to pull him down into a messy kiss. Phil slid his thumb over the head of his cock spreading precome down his shaft and Nick thrust up into the tight circle of his fingers unable to resist. He could feel Phil hard against his hip and he fumbled with the waistband of his sweatpants for a minute before Phil wriggled mostly out of them and wrapped his hand around both of them. The warm roughness of Phil’s hands and the slick slide of his cock against Nick’s went straight to his gut and he closed his eye and groaned.  
“Jesus-”  
“No I’m Phil.”  
Nick opened it again to glare at him but found his mouth turning up instead at the mixture of desire, affection, and amusement on Phil’s face.   
“I couldn’t resist.”  
“Of course you couldn’t-nngh.” Phil twisted his wrist swiping his thumb over the head of Nick’s cock again with a slightly wicked grin.  
They continued to grind together Phil’s hand between them stroking them both closer and closer to the edge. Nick reached the brink first thrusting faster against Phil’s, hips bucking up into the ring of his fingers as he lost himself in the feeling of Phil surrounding him. He came hard groaning as he spurted over Phil’s fingers and then went pleasantly lax. Phil’s thighs quivered as he held himself still to let Nick have a moment to recover. Nick caught his breath before wrapping his hand around Phil’s cock. Phil usually so put together immediately came apart as Nick stroked him, whimpering, hips stuttering, breath coming in short pants. He cried out softly when he came shuddering all over and Nick stroked him slowly through it stopping only when it became clear he was becoming too sensitive. Phil slumped against him before gently rolling to the side so as not to bump Nick’s bad shoulder. They used Nick’s towel to clean up before tossing it to the side and Nick helped Phil the rest of the way out of his clothes. He wrapped his arm around Phil who rolled over to curl against his side willingly.   
“Mmm so why weren’t we doing this before?”  
“Because we’re both idiots?” Nick offered.  
“That’s got to be it.”


End file.
